Saying yes to a board is easy. Saying yes to the right board takes about a week of homework. Once you join, you take on legal duties of care, loyalty and obedience. You become one of the people responsible for the organization's money, mission and reputation, and the organization's reputation becomes part of yours.
Use this checklist before you accept. A board that welcomes these questions is usually a board worth joining.
1. Mission and fit
- Do I care about this mission enough to talk about it, give to it and spend evenings on it for the next few years?
- Why are they asking me? What skill, perspective or connection do they need, and do I actually have it?
- How does the organization measure whether it's making a difference, and what changed because of the board last year?
2. The commitment
- How many meetings a year are there, how long are they, and is attendance expected in person?
- Which committee would I serve on, and how much time does it take each month?
- Is there an expectation to give, to raise money, or both? Is it a set amount, and do introductions, volunteer time or donated services count?
- How long is the term, and is there a limit on terms?
3. Governance and culture
- What does the board decide, and what is left to the executive director and staff?
- How are new directors oriented, and is there a mentor or "board buddy"?
- How does the board handle disagreement, missed commitments and a director who isn't contributing?
- Can directors ask hard questions, or does the board mostly approve what is put in front of it?
4. Money and risk
- May I see the current budget, the latest financial statements and the most recent annual return (Form 990)?
- Is there an audit or a financial review, and were there any findings?
- Are there debts, funding gaps, lawsuits or regulatory issues I should know about?
- Does the organization carry directors and officers (D&O) insurance, and do the bylaws indemnify directors?
5. Leadership
- Who runs the organization day to day, and how does the board evaluate that person?
- How would the chair describe the relationship between the board and the executive director?
- What would success look like for me after one year?
Warning signs
- Nobody can tell you what is expected of you, or the answer changes depending on who you ask.
- You can't see the financial statements until after you join.
- Several directors left in the past year and nobody will say why.
- There's no D&O insurance and no plan to get it.
- The founder or executive director makes every decision, and the board's role is to agree.
The last question
Do I honestly have the time, attention and energy to do this well right now? "Not this year" is a perfectly good answer, and a far better one than a seat you can't fill. Many people start on a committee or as a volunteer, and join the board a year later knowing exactly what they're signing up for.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Your state's law and the organization's bylaws set the formal duties.
Next, read Who does what: the board, the executive director and staff.